Chapter 107 As he expected, as soon as Chris left the room, Charmine spun around and looked at him with a stern expression. âAnthony.
Donât act improperly with me in the future, especially in front of the child. Heâs still little and underaged!â
âHuh? Act improperly? When did that happen?â Anthonyâs expression was one of pure confusion.
Charmine was speechless. âAm I overthinking the situation? This manâs acting skill are pretty impressive,â Charmine thought to herself.
âIn that case, letâs talk about the real issue. From today onward, donât come looking for me with Chris,â Charmine told him.
Anthonyâs hand that was holding the fork twitched slightly, the warm expression on his face gradually turning cold.
Charmine continued despite the change in his mood, âYouâre well aware that nothing can ever happen between us. Momo needs to get accustomed to life without me. Short-term pain is better than one that is long and drawn out. As his father, you should help him get over his attachment to me. Otherwise, heâll be crushed when the day comes.â
Anthony scowled and put down his fork, gazing intently at her as he said, âI donât know what gave you the wrong idea. Why d o you think we wonât work out? What is it about me that you donât like? You can be honest.â His demeanor was extremely serious, his gaze piercing.
Charmineâs heart did a tiny somersault before she remembered what happened five years ago. She remembered her situation.
Hiding from his gaze, she responded indifferently, âI donât like guys who pursue women. Itâs unbecoming. Iâm attracted t o men who seem out of reach and donât like me. I get the sense of challenge. However, I also believe in love at first sight. To put it simply, the first time I met you, I didnât have a good impression of you. I also didnât develop any feelings for you. Love is something that canât be forced.â 13 Anthony suddenly stood up and leaned in, moving closer to her. Charmine saw his face edging closer to hers as her heart started to beat faster as if it had a mind of its own. She tried hard to maintain her composure and asked, âWhat are you doing?â
Anthony grabbed her wrist with one hand, the other cradling her chin. His lips kept drawing closer and closer. Being held by him, Charmine could not even retreat or lean back. In the blink of an eye, his face was right in front of her, hovering so closely that the tips of their noses were close enough to touch.
Breathing in, she was surrounded by the potency of Anthonyâs refreshing musky scent. If she leaned forward just a tiny fraction, their lips would meet... Her heart pounded swiftly, like a deer running from danger. It almost felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.
Anthony gazed at her, his lips beginning to move closer. Charmine quickly turned her head, avoiding his kiss. However, his cool lips missed her cheek and landed near her earlobe. At that moment, Charmine felt her whole body turn numb.
Anthonyâs thin lips curved up as he whispered into her ear, âA typical womanâs pulse ranges between sixty to a hundred beats per minute. In the last 30 seconds, your heart beat fifty five times. Are you sure you donât have any feelings for me? Hmm?â, Whilst saying that, the hand wrapped around Charmineâs wrist gripped tighter. Charmineâs body stiffened. So this was the reason he had grabbed her wrist and edged closer to her? T o measure her heartbeat? He was such a meticulous guy.
She snatched her hand away from his while trying to keep her cool. She retorted, âHas no one told you before that itâs normal for your heart rate to vary. For example, if the temperature is too hot or too cold. It can also increase in speed when your body is digesting food. I told you I donât have feelings for you, so that means I really donât have feelings for you. In the future, except for official business, please donât come looking for me anymore.â Her tone was full of indifference and apathy, completely devoid of all emotion.
Anthony felt the sensation of a sharp blade slicing across his heart for the first time. It was a moment before he said with a quiet calmness, âOkay, Iâll do as you wish.â
With perfect timing, Chris returned with the juice and walked into the kitchen. Anthony took the juice and placed it on the counter before stretching his arms toward Chris. âCome on, weâre going home.â
âOh, but Momo hasnât had any of the steaks yet...â Chris said, his face filled with disappointment.
Anthony comforted him, stroking his head gently. âBe a good boy, Iâll make some more for you next time. Weâre not going t o bother mommy today, okay?â
âOkay.â Chris pouted, turning toward Charmine as he waved.â Goodbye mommy, Make sure you eat until youâre super full.â
Somehow, Charmine got a sore feeling in her throat. It felt like her throat was catching and it took a while before she could squeeze out a word.